JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | Retired teacher Jerry McGrath at The Grind Café in Wading River, where his works have been on display all month.

There’s a place in Wading River where you can catch a glimpse of an egret so close up that you can see the sun’s glare in the bird’s eye.

No need to hide out in the marsh and wait to spot one returning to its nest. Retired Wading River Elementary School teacher Jerry McGrath, 65, is doing the dirty work.

He’s been staking out the area in his kayak, armed with his camera. For hours on end, Mr. McGrath waits for the perfect opportunity to capture his winged friends’ personalities through his lens.

“There’s a lot of places that I’m discovering,” Mr. McGrath said. “I’m so lucky because I’ve had a lot of people help me along the way.”

Mr. McGrath’s first exhibit opened in September at the North Shore Public Library, and his work has been on display all month at The Grind Café in Wading River. The exhibit will run into April.

Mr. McGrath said he has been “pleasantly surprised” by the response to his latest showing.

“I thought maybe 15 to 20 people would show up at the opening,” he said. “I couldn’t believe how many visitors I had. There were about 80 to 90 people. It was very exciting.”

An avid fisherman licensed to operate boats by the U.S. Coast Guard, Mr. McGrath, also known as Captain Jerry, said his photography hobby took a professional turn after he won first place in a photography contest about five years ago, which landed him two free round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines to travel anywhere in the country.

Mr. McGrath and his wife, Cathie, decided to visit Hawaii.

“I thought, I can’t just go with a point-and-shoot camera,” he said. “That’s when I got a Canon DSLR. It took fabulous pictures and we had a great time. That’s when I became addicted to Canon.”

Mr. McGrath described his latest exhibit as outdoor photography featuring panoramic landscapes, sunrises, sunsets and animals — particularly those with wings, four legs or fins.

One of his images on display piqued the interest of Laura Latora of Wading River earlier this month as she worked on her laptop at the café.

“I love the owl,” Ms. Latora told Mr. McGrath. She said the rare close-up of the bird would be perfect for her 11-month-old son’s room. “I try to find art that we enjoy and will stimulate him,” she said.

Mr. McGrath said he’s looking into showing his work at vineyards along the North Fork and will continue to explore Long Island’s beauty with his camera.

“I’m mesmerized by nature,” he said. “It’s quiet, peaceful. It’s like being in my own secluded world.”

Real estate photography has changed drastically over the past decade — and not necessarily for the benefit of longtime professional photographers.

Compounding the effects of the housing crisis, the transition from film to digital and the emergence of a new generation of photographers have led to much smaller incomes for established photographers and forced an exodus of veterans from what used to be a lucrative trade.

Local realtors agree that photographs have taken a hugely prominent role in recent years, as buyers view a multitude of photographs on real estate websites like Trulia.com and Zillow.com before agreeing to see a home in person. It’s just easier for anyone with a digital camera to snap some good ones.

Here are a handful of images from real estate photographers still in the business. And to read more, be sure to pick up a copy of this week’s Riverhead News-Review.

EDBERG MARKETING

This photo from Peter Berlin shows an aerial shot of a roughly 2,000-square-foot, 4-bedroom home on Shelter Island. The house is no longer on the market.

PETER BERLIN PHOTO

EDBERG MARKETING

Another bird’s-eye view of a home in Orient that is currently on the market for $1.4 million. With a water-front view, the home features 4 bedrooms.

PETER BERLIN PHOTO

EDBERG MARKETING

This photo of a Cutchogue home provides a glimpse to the water-front view the homeowner can enjoy while showing the spacious property in the front of the home.

PETER BERLIN PHOTO

EDBERG MARKETING

A tucked away home on the water, this two-story Cutchogue house is 2,000 square feet.

PETER BERLIN PHOTO

HAMPTONS GATEWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

A view from the front of a South Jamesport house.

PAUL DEMPSEY PHOTO

HAMPTONS GATEWAY PHOTOGRAPHY

This South Jamesport home features plenty of natural light in the master bedroom as captured by this photograph.